Third Monthly Report

Today is my 90th day of taking ARV's. It is my 3rd month of getting treatment for my HIV.

If people will ask me how I am, as promised that I will tell the honest truth, this is my current status. Up to now, I still wake up at 2am (4 hours after taking my pills) and I feel hot especially on my back. I am already in front of the airconditioner but still the body heat wakes me up. Occasionally I feel itchy in the areas on my back, my upper arms and upper chest especially when I feel hot. Applying a moisturizer helps and frequent showering with a moisturizing soap. I believe that alcoholic beverage makes me itchy too, as I experienced it with just drinking wine during my new year's eve dinner. I usually feel that my body is heating up when my ears start to itch. Well, it's an alarm for me to stop whatever I am doing, take a shower or apply a moisturizer to cool it off.

Aside from those, I don't get sick at all. Unlike before, I don't have frequent diarrhea or colds and flu anymore. My only concern now is I am getting fat and starting this year, I promised myself to lose 20 pounds. Currently I am eating less carbs and focused more on meat. I do cardio twice a day and lift weights in between. I eat more fruits and vegetables too.

I am still on cotrimoxazole once a day, 800mg and azithromycin once a week, 1,250 mg. My cocktail is tenofovir, lamivudine and efavirenz. I haven't missed any dose and still has not been late for my scheduled intake.

When it comes to vaccinations, I will be having my 2nd shot for Hepa B this month together with the HPV and meningococcemia vaccine. I want to finish it all because it is cheaper to be vaccinated that be hospitalized. I finished my pneumonia vaccine and flu shot last month.

My next consultation will be on March where I will undergo all the lab tests again including my CD4 test. I'll do all the tests before I go back to my doctor for my next refill of my ARV's.

I'll give another report on my 40th day so people will know in detail what has been ging with me as I live my life with AIDS.

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